My alpha male has been happily rearing fry for the last few months in his little cave. The last month or so, there haven't been any spawns...more than likely due to the extremely hot weather. During this time he's also decided to move from what was his cave at one end of the tank to another cave at the other end of the tank, and in turn throwing a male out of his cave (eg. the alphas forced a house swap)
Has anyone had this happen and has it in anyway resulted in a delay in spawning again?
Cheers
Plastic Mac
Alpha moving house..
-
Plastic Mac
- Mentally Certified!
- Posts: 725
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:23 pm
- Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Hi PM,
The very same thing happened to me towards the tail end of last year. The Alpha male moved house to a cave across the other side of the tank, evicting the young male that was in there almost killing him in the process. Up until then he had been in the same cave for almost a year and was spawning regularly, every three to four weeks. He now spawns less frequently. He also appears to be nomadic now and regularly moves house which usually results in someone getting beaten up. That said he seems to have settled down a bit and has spawned in the same cave twice in the last three months.
One possibility is that the young males I originally put in the tank have now matured and the Alpha male may be feeling threatened by them.
Another thing I have noticed is that the Alpha male has also moved home a number of times to get away from fry that just wouldn't leave his cave.
Adam
The very same thing happened to me towards the tail end of last year. The Alpha male moved house to a cave across the other side of the tank, evicting the young male that was in there almost killing him in the process. Up until then he had been in the same cave for almost a year and was spawning regularly, every three to four weeks. He now spawns less frequently. He also appears to be nomadic now and regularly moves house which usually results in someone getting beaten up. That said he seems to have settled down a bit and has spawned in the same cave twice in the last three months.
One possibility is that the young males I originally put in the tank have now matured and the Alpha male may be feeling threatened by them.
Another thing I have noticed is that the Alpha male has also moved home a number of times to get away from fry that just wouldn't leave his cave.
Adam
-
discusbabe
- Obsessed!!
- Posts: 229
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:39 am
- Location: Derbyshire, UK
-
Plastic Mac
- Mentally Certified!
- Posts: 725
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:23 pm
- Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Thanks Adam, that's pretty interesting.
The two possibilities you stated I hadn't thought of (actually I hadn't thought of any reasons why yet lol!
). I'm not sure the other males in the tank have had any effect in my case, they were all pretty much full grown when I got them, plus the only two which were noticably smaller I bought as supposed females, which they act like so I don't think they are feminine looking males that have just reachedd adulthood.
As for the fry in the cave, that one is definitly happening to me..or him really. I've noticed some of the fry have gone back into the cave after having left at least two weeks before, why this might be I don't know. What I do know is there were fry from alpha who also lived with the male in the cave which the alpha has just taken over...so if he's left to get away from the fry then he hasn't done a great job lol.
I have noticed him occassionally trying to push the older fry out of his cave so maybe you're right and he just had enough...might be time to move the fry into another tank.
@zebra_man
No problem hijacking....this once
I reckon so, size, strength and winning fights. It's just occured to me that my zebra tank is rather like my local pub on a saturday night.
The two possibilities you stated I hadn't thought of (actually I hadn't thought of any reasons why yet lol!
). I'm not sure the other males in the tank have had any effect in my case, they were all pretty much full grown when I got them, plus the only two which were noticably smaller I bought as supposed females, which they act like so I don't think they are feminine looking males that have just reachedd adulthood.As for the fry in the cave, that one is definitly happening to me..or him really. I've noticed some of the fry have gone back into the cave after having left at least two weeks before, why this might be I don't know. What I do know is there were fry from alpha who also lived with the male in the cave which the alpha has just taken over...so if he's left to get away from the fry then he hasn't done a great job lol.
I have noticed him occassionally trying to push the older fry out of his cave so maybe you're right and he just had enough...might be time to move the fry into another tank.
@zebra_man
No problem hijacking....this once
I reckon so, size, strength and winning fights. It's just occured to me that my zebra tank is rather like my local pub on a saturday night.
No problem PM, just some observations I have made in the countless hours spent staring at my zebras. 
Sounds like you may well need to move the fry out of the breeding tank, I'm well overdue a "clear out" too. Some of my fry are now starting to hang out in caves. As you have found out the fry will sometimes follow their father to his new cave. I have seen them out and about at night feeding but then they return to the safety of dad's cave during the day. Lingering fry may well delay the spawning process but I allow it to happen so that the male gets a rest between spawns. That said a male will often spawn again with fry still in his cave from the last spawn.
@zebra_man, pretty much what PM says.
@discusbabe, there are four males in the tank, six females, two unknowns and fry. I could remove all "excess" males from the tank. However that would more than likely upset the heirarchy within the group resulting in no more spawns.
Adam
Sounds like you may well need to move the fry out of the breeding tank, I'm well overdue a "clear out" too. Some of my fry are now starting to hang out in caves. As you have found out the fry will sometimes follow their father to his new cave. I have seen them out and about at night feeding but then they return to the safety of dad's cave during the day. Lingering fry may well delay the spawning process but I allow it to happen so that the male gets a rest between spawns. That said a male will often spawn again with fry still in his cave from the last spawn.
@zebra_man, pretty much what PM says.
@discusbabe, there are four males in the tank, six females, two unknowns and fry. I could remove all "excess" males from the tank. However that would more than likely upset the heirarchy within the group resulting in no more spawns.
Adam
-
discusbabe
- Obsessed!!
- Posts: 229
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:39 am
- Location: Derbyshire, UK
Just curious for in case I ever have the same problem in the distant future! -
Plastic Mac
- Mentally Certified!
- Posts: 725
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:23 pm
- Location: Hertfordshire, UK
It suddenly occured to me this morning a possible reason as to why my male left his original cave. The door to the room they are in is generally left shut, especially at night. Each morning before work, I go in there to feed them. What with the way the house is designed etc,...each time I walk in to that room sunlight pours in through the open door and shines direclty into the males cave. At first he never seemed overly bothered by it and I kind of just used the excuse to be able to get a a good look in his cave and see if any more eggs had appeared. I'm starting to think this is probably the reason he's now left that cave and gone to another. The cave he's now in gets no light at all and is almost impossible for me to see into, due to the decor. If he stays in this one I think I can safely assume I was right and he'd just had enough of the harsh sunlight each morning...
